Victorian government pushes for energy sector reform

July 13, 2012

The Victorian government has welcomed a new review from the Standing Council on Energy and Resources (SCER) which has pushed for energy sector reform, arguing that the current system does not fully take into account the long term interests of consumers.

Minister for energy and resources Michael O'Brien spoke in praise of the review yesterday (July 11), asserting that the Victorian government has long argued for changes to the regulatory regime.

The stage one report, titled Review of the Limited Merits Review Regime, was released June 29 and made a case for significant reform in the way electricity suppliers are able to appeal regulatory decisions regarding what they can charge for infrastructure.

According to Mr O'Brien, having a system that took better account of consumers would help reduce electricity prices for Australians already struggling with the rising cost of living.

"This report strongly backs the Coalition government arguments that the current appeals regime is not delivering the best results for consumers," said Mr O'Brien.

"Victoria will continue to make the case for a fairer regulatory system that gives electricity consumers a fair go."

Stage two of the report is set to offer suggestions as to how the system could be improved, and is scheduled to be released at the end of September.